As times changes, so do educational methods. A teacher can use creative curriculum methods to teach the same subjects and ideas in creative ways. Creative curriculum doesn't need to be the same from teacher to teacher, and it isn't something that has a set of rules and regulations. Rather, it can be anything that is deemed creative, nontraditional or different than standard book and lecture learning.
Types
There are several types of creative curriculum that a teacher can use in the classroom. A teacher who wants to have a creative curriculum method can take a theme, such as the zoo, space or an event like the Iditarod and use it to base all of her curriculum. Other options include allowing the students to develop a unit of study based on a theme, having groups of students teach other students, encouraging students to create videos on the Internet or participating in field trips, plays, or community projects that all revolve around the subject.
Evaulation
The teacher can also use creative evaluation as part of creative curriculum. Perhaps there can be a rubric that students fill out regarding how they feel they did with a particular project or group evaluations that reflect on the general evaluation of a student's project. Teachers can come up with their own evaluations based on various parts of the lesson.
Considerations
The more creative a teacher gets with the lessons, the more students are likely to learn, but some students will still do better with traditional book learning and lecture methods. Therefore, for the best guarantee of student learning, it's a good idea to use a mixture of creative and traditional approaches.
Benefits
Students benefit from creative curriculum because they learn look at the world around them in a more creative way. Other benefits that might be harder to measure include students retaining more knowledge, beginning to understand concepts at an earlier age and taking ownership of their own learning.
Warning
If a creative learning method is too abstract, students might have trouble learning the concept. Therefore, it is essential for teachers to evaluate their students' progress when using the creative curriculum and make sure to explain a concept to students until they understand it.
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